Rep. Mark Kirk says no move to the right

Senate candidate sought support of Sarah Palin

November 12, 2009|By Rick Pearson | Tribune reporter

Despite his recent request for help from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and renouncing his past support of prominent environmental legislation, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk on Wednesday denied he is moving to the right to try to coalesce support in the Feb. 2 primary election.

"I think I am who I am," Kirk, a member of the Naval Reserve, told reporters after a Veterans Day ceremony at the Jesse Brown Veterans Administration Medical Center in Chicago.

"I am a social moderate, fiscal conservative. But this is a big race, and we are building a broad coalition, and it will be, for a Republican candidacy, a center-right coalition," said Kirk, a five-term North Shore congressman who is seeking a promotion to the Senate next year. "But for me, I haven't changed my views."

Last week, a day after appearing noncommittal about getting Palin's support during a Chicago visit next week, Kirk wrote a memo seeking to get the conservative ex-governor to say something nice about him in the Senate race.

On Wednesday, Kirk did not directly answer questions about how Palin's backing would help his campaign or fill a critical void in support among Republican primary voters.

"This Senate race will be decided by the people of Illinois, and for me, I am looking for the support of all Republicans, independents and some Democrats," Kirk said. "We have a lot of problems here. I do not know Sarah Palin, but we sent a memo to her as we do to a number of prominent GOP people when they come into Chicago. For me, it's a very important race. It has national implications."

Kirk's solicitation of support from Palin prompted complaints from both sides. Some Democrats contended Kirk was veering to the right, and some conservative Republicans criticized him for trying to paper over his socially moderate voting record.

The congressman is among several Republican Senate candidates, with his opponents largely running as conservatives. But the GOP's core conservative wing has yet to rally around an alternative to Kirk from among the large field.